Method of making an invertase preparation



Patented Feb. 12, 1935 a I e 1,990,595

METHOD OF MAKING AN INVERTASE' PREPARATION Leo Wallerstein, New York, N. Y., assignoi' to Wallerstein Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation o'ffNewJIork No Drawing. Application-August 30, 1929, Serial No. 389,616

4 Claims. (01. 195-20) This invention relates to certain improvements a dry invertase preparation directly from yeast in invertase preparations, particularly yeast inhaving the above set forth desirable charactervertase, and to a method or process of producing istics. such preparations. I have discoveredsthat such an invertase prepa- 5 Products containing the enzyme invertase are ration canbe produceduiirectly from yeast by 5 used in certain industries for inverting cane sugar treating yeast, such as brewers or bakers yeast and have gone largely into use in the production containing invertase, with certain volatile water of certain confections, as, for instance, the soft or soluble reagents, which if used under proper precream centers of which certain kinds of candy are caution, as described below, will so act on the made. The use of yeast for the production of yeast that the enzyme intertase is retained in the 10 soft centers for confectionery purposes has been yeast cell without any substantial loss in its acsuggested. The use of yeast, however, as heretotivity, but with the yeast cell and the enzyme in fore suggested is unsatisfactory commercially, in such a stateof suspension that it can be readily that the yeast itself s Very variable or varies to separated or recovered from the solution and dried considerable extent in its enzyme content, some without difliculty, the reagents employed acting 1 45 an invertase preparation from yeast in which the agents it is removed from the mixture by pressing y as v n a mu h ar r inv rt p w r than on the yeast so that this can be done. Various other y as s tha t am unt f y ast n sa such reagents'may be employed and the yeast may for use is difficult to determine. Furthermore, be treated with thesea'gents in various ways. such an invertase containing yeast as heretofore o practical method and th hi h h s produced is to store because Of the fact produced yields in practice we now de... 20 a t s ab and easily deflomposedscribe: To one part of yeast, either in paste or use of 5115311 Yeast as a Source of mvertase there" compressed form, such as brewers or bakers yeast, fore requires that the consumer must go through we add two parts of the reagent or agents by a series of elaborate tests for each particular volume'and the resultingmass j arefuny mixed,

of yeast to determine its enzymtic activity at room temperature or preferably at a lower and the quantity that must be used, and standtemperature, Say The duration of the ardization of such yeast preparation is practically tfeat'ment f the yeast by the reagents may be immssible- I varied within certain limits, but I have found that A standardized invertase solution has been prousually from fifteen to thirty minutes is sufilcient o posed, but such standardized preparations, how for the desired action of the agents. Various ever, are produced by autolyzing yeast and standvolatile water soluble rea gents may be used, as M g the product the autolyzed hqmd product before stated, but I have secured good results with being preserved with certain preservatives, such as toluol. This method, while an improvement the use of acetone ethyl carbmol dlmethyl car r binol, trimethyl carbinol and 'diacetone alcohol, on the prior suggestions above referred to, is open to serious commercial disadvantages, in that'the 322 2 reagents may be .med'alone or may be autolyzed liquid' has a disagreeable and strong meaty taste and is'very readily decomposed. Fur- 5 251 2;fizsgfz gg i g g' g g g gfigg ther, careful precautions must be taken that the th 3 m te 1 b te d 40 toluol does not evaporate, for if it does the prepa-- ey are a so so t e m r may 8 nne 40 ration readily decomposes and may become unfit water soluble higher alcohols These alcohols for any may be utilized alone, mixed together or consecu- It is the especial object of the present invention timely as deslred' r to improve on these known mthods of preparing After the yeast has been. acted on by these reproduct, if kept dry and not exposed t excessive or in a centrifuge, or other suitable method, and humidity dampness, does not decompose, is the resulting invertase contaimng product can odorless, and in which the use of preservatives, then be dried- Care must be taken in drying that such as toluol, is unnecessary, so that a standard the mvertase Is n t destroyed. the drying being preparation is produced which can be used by the effected t a l w t mp ratu p f a l n t x- 50 consumer without the necessity for tests, and ceedihg This p c is a y sh 0 which can be made and marketed in a convenient ay h Powder whic contains a large P Of the form, and which is stable. active invertase of the yeast. This product is It is a further object of the invention to provery stable, practically odorless and is without duce an improved process or method for obtaining objectionable taste, and of very high activity, and 55 can be kept for long periods without change and without the use of antiseptics provided it is kept in a dry state and is not exposed to excessive humidity.

After the pressing or other treatment, the solvent can be recovered for further use, and any substances dissolved from the yeast by the reagent may be recovered and used for food or other P p The enzymatic strength of this product can be readily ascertained, and the product when sold to the consumer can be diluted and standardized with some harmless substances, such as cane suganmilk sugar, dextrose, starch or similar substances. Thus the consumer has a product on which he can rely as to activity, and this product is particularly adapted for the confectionery trade in making soft centered candy, though, of course, it may be used for other purposes.

The paste or compressed yeast used as above stated, as sold upon the market contains more than of water and usually more than and normally contains about of water.

The treatments above described including the treatment with the ethyl carbinol, dimethyl carbinol, trimethyl carbinol and diacetone alcohol will advantageously devitalize the yeast and at the same time destroy or inactivate the zymase present in the yeast without at all disadvantageously affecting the invertase.

What I claim is:

1. The process of preparing a dry invertase preparation which comprises acting directly on yeast containing invertase with a treating agent consisting of one of the water soluble saturated aliphatic alcohols of higher molecular weight than ethyl alcohol below a temperature sumciently high to destroy the invertase and in a concentration which will substantially devitalize the yeast, and recovering the resulting devitalized yeast from the solution.

2. The process of producing a dry invertase preparation which comprises acting directly on yeast containing invertase with a water soluble saturated aliphatic alcohol, of higher molecular weight than ethyl alcohol below a temperature sufiiciently high to destroy the invertase and in a concentration which will substantially devitalize the yeast, recovering the resulting devitalized yeast and drying the product under conditions which will not destroy the enzyme.

3. The process of producing a dry invertase preparation which comprises treating yeast with dimethyl carbinol below a temperature sufliciently high to destroy the invertase and in a concentration which will substantially devitalize the yeast, recovering the resulting devitalized yeast from the solution and drying the product under conditions which will not destroy the invertase.

4. The process of producing a dry invertase preparation, which comprises directly treating destroy the invertase and in a concentration which will substantially devitalize the yeast.

' LEO WALLERSTEIN. 

